SeaShorts 2018 Programme Book by Pey Sien

FESTIVAL TEAM SELECTION COMMITTEE

TEAM

Sanchai Chotirosseranee Leong Pui Yee Fransiska Prihadi

Tan Chui Mui

SeaShorts Competition

Next New Wave Competition

Chloe Jacky Keenen

Festival Director

Programme Manager

Jacky Yeap

Festival Manager

Lim Han Loong Project Coordinator

Nicole Tan

JURY

SeaShorts Competition

Rithy Panh Pimpaka Towira Philip Cheah

Hospitality Manager

Hospitality Assistant

Kristine Lee Venue Manager

Lim Han Loong Venue Assistant

FILM FORUM

Head of Film Forum

Gaik Cheng Khoo Moderators

Amir Muhammad Umapagan Ampikaipakan

Low Pey Sien Design Assistant

Chee Zhen Booklet Editor

Kristine Lee

Booklet Photo Editor

Chloe Yap Mun Ee Chee Zhen

Teh Rou Ning

Next New Wave Competition

Mira Lesmana Liew Seng Tat Thaiddhi

Key Designer

Chee Zhen

Publicity Manager

Elise Shick

Publicity Assistant

Kristine Lee

Publicity Photo/ Video

Chloe Yap Mun Ee Low Pey Sien Teh Rou Ning Lim Han Loong Elise Shick Chong Jacky Yeap Chee Zhen Writer

Elise Shick

More than the abovementioned people, SeaShorts 2018 will be impossible without the participation of these passionate volunteers: Photographer

Sidney Chan Kalash Nanda Kumar Music

Muhd. Syukri A. Rahim Dugong Logo

Qistina Ruslan Special Thanks

Wee Jia Foong and the names not mentioned but will join us after the booklet is out.

CONTENTS 2

Words from Festival Team

3 4

OPENING FILMS

3 4

8 9 10 11 12

SEASHORTS COMPETITION

8 9 10 11 12

22 22 23 24

NEXT NEW WAVE COMPETITION

22 22 23 24

29 34 37 39 42 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 57 60 62 65

69 73 75 77

My Student Film

Awards & Sponsors Jury Selection Committee Competition Films Award & Sponsor Jury Competition Films

SPECIAL PROGRAMME Return of the Salt Boy

Mahakarya Pertama Screening Borders and Boundaries The Window is Closed, Partially. Philms and Cheeps, SEA Animated Snacks S-Express 2018 Thailand Singapore Myanmar Philippines Vietnam Indonesia Malaysia Laos Cambodia FLY Workshop Shortcuts Love Letters to/from Japan Me and Meâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;: Female Japanese Animation Artists Now

CLOSING FILM

29 34 37 39 42 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 57 60 62 65

Chronicles of Amnesia

FILM FORUM PLAY ALONG FESTIVAL INFO ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

69 73 75 77

WORDS FROM FESTIVAL TEAM

Elise

Mui

Too short for a long-winded person, too long for an alexithymic person, short films set an awkward territory where ideas are explored and challenged through continuous breakthroughs. Identically to these ideas in a way, we, the Southeast Asians, ceaselessly search for who we really are when this territory we live on is analogised to the larger world.

Starting something new is exciting. To do something for the second time, in a way, is significant. The first time is like making a dot. The second time is not merely a second dot. It creates a pattern or a line. And from the line, you project a direction.... We start to get an idea what we are really doing… Jacky

It feels like nobody is willing to spend time with me, listening to me speaking slowly. I guess it is better to make a film, so that you can sit down quietly and listen to what I want to say.

Han Loong

Short films are similar to time capsules, in which I keep the words of love I have for you and then bury in the earth. No one knows about that.

Pey Sien

It’s like mini travels to familiar places close to my heart. Or perhaps travel in memories. Chloe

It’s fun to think about objects. It’s fun to imagine the possibilities of what a short film could be. Like a door, a used clothing, or a thousand-year-old tree. All I wish is to imagine, what I can do with this strange but wonderful time-based medium...

Nicole

Something that gives contentment, but leaves you wanting more; the sound of rain hitting an old tin roof, or the touch of a loved one.

Rou Ning

Teh O ice limau! I mean it feels like iced Black Tea with lime, but have to kurang manis (reduce sugar) though.

Mistakes. Photo courtesy of Chloe Yap

In all of his films, there is always a shot showing the words “I Love You Lau Shu Lin”. Jacky said that he will always film this shot until the girl sees it. Eventually, this became his motivation to make more films, his student film as well.

Programmer | Jacky Yeap “Before I became who I am right now, I was a student.”

OPENING | My Student Film

Wagon 1, 2, 3 | Gerbong 1, 2, 3 Garin Nugroho | Indonesia | 1985 | 13 mins

The encounter between two men and a women at the railway station brings good memories of encounters, tragedies, and poverty surrounding the station.

“It’s a film when I was a sophomore in the university and was done as a class exercise. It was almost shown in Rotterdam (if my memory does not deny it) with the end credits saying “Sorry Quark (the name of my teacher), for submitting late!”

“At that time students did not have enough money to buy 8mm raw materials, so we bought the cheap material illegally from someone who worked at National TV station. Shooting on a train was also without permission; we did it stealthily.”

Film School Jakarta Institute of Arts

Apple Sherad Anthony Sanchez | Philippines | 2005 | 11 mins

A young girl learns to become a death chanter for funerals. At night, she is sold around by pimps. Film School Ateneo De Manila University

OPENING | My Student Film

Motorcycle

“I was planning to shoot my graduation film in California. But along a drive from Los Angeles up to San Francisco, I stopped at a gas station to rest. Sitting alone in my car, that’s when the thought hit me - I should go back home and shoot my film there instead.”

Aditya Assarat | Thailand | 2000 | 15 mins

Grandpa Koon gets a phone call from the city. Film School University of Southern California

Surabaya Johnny Dain Said | Malaysia | 1990 | 22 mins

“I had a tutor who hated me and I think he was responsible for this event; I went out for coffee, and when I came back at the premiere my friends told me that a group of dark suited Indonesian men in a black Mercedes, came out and started shouting and haranguing the screen where the trailer of Surabaya Johnny was playing. A few years ago when the Act of Killing was made, his name was in the credits as one of the producers.”

A docu-fiction film exploring the 1965 massacres of communists by Indonesian military forces. Film School Westminster University

OPENING | My Student Film

A Very Boring Conversation

“A Very Boring Conversation, I wanted this film to be a one-shot film, following the characters moving in the house for 7 or 8 minutes. Of course it didn’t work. No planning, no rehearsal, not enough time. But it was a pretty funny experience. We had fun. We did it with 3 takes. Because we only have 3 rolls of film

Edwin | Indonesia | 2006 | 9 mins

stocks.”

A conversation initiated by music and emails soon ends up changing possibly the relationship dynamics of two people from ‘mother-son’ to ‘woman-man’.

“At that time, there wasn’t even video assist available at the school. So there was no video monitor to look at what one was shooting and no way of playing back takes. It was pure trust and instinct of what you are capturing right before your eyes. I almost feel some of that discipline gets thrown out the window with the digitalisation of the medium. Now we get so used to watching ‘playback’ so much.”

Film School Ngee Ann Polytechnic, School of Film and Media Studies

Film School Jakarta Institute of Arts

G-23 Anthony Chen | Singapore | 2005 | 18 mins

Emotional suppression in urban Singapore involving three idiosyncratic city dwellers: a young Indian girl, an elderly man, and a middle-aged lady whose lives are intertwined through a ticket-tearer working at the local Indian cinema.

OPENING | My Student Film

“This animation was the final year project of my animation course in MMU. It was a group project done together with my three other classmates; Jun Wei, Terence and Eddie. I’ve not seen them for a long long time. Hope

Don’t Play Play Liew Seng Tat | Malaysia | 2002 | 7 mins

they are still alive and well.”

Film School Multimedia University (Seng Tat didn’t go to film school. He studied animation)

A grandfather brings his grandson out for breakfast. Then, shit happens.

20 short films from Southeast Asia compete for Purin Award, Best Cinematography, and Best Post Production. The short films are selected based on their individual approaches in filmmaking and unique portrayal of the themes that surround the regional realm. The films range in thematic explorations; from the tenderness of youth and introspective confessionals, the alien

familiarity of spaces and the meaning of home, to the imagery of the body in the cusps of sexuality and so much more. The filmmakers tackle these ideas with thoughtful decisions, mise-en-scĂ¨ne and technique - each world designed with careful use of colours, camerawork, sound design and sensitivity towards space and environment.

Preloved things. Photo courtesy of Low Pey Sien

PURIN AWARD Cash Prize USD 2,500 Purin Pictures is a film fund under Purin Foundation managed by Thailandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Anocha Suwichakornpong and Aditya Assarat. Since 2017, Purin Pictures has supported independent Southeast Asian cinema with the aim of searching for Southeast Asian artists and organizations who are creating unique and essential work.

COMPETITION | SeaShorts

Best Cinematography Award URSA Mini 4.6K EF worth USD 4,995

Best Achievement in Post-Production Award Resolve Micro Panel worth USD 995 and Resolve Studio worth USD 299

Special Jury | Isazaly Mohd Isa

Best Achievement in Post-Production Award

Isazaly is a certified trainer for Blackmagicdesign and co-founder of Kino-i, a Malaysian digital production house. He has been active in Malaysian and Singaporean productions - with national endorsements such as Profesional-Tier in “Editing” by CCIG and National Certified Film/Video Editor by the Ministry Of Human Resource.

Blackmagic Design Blackmagic Design is a manufacturer of creative video technology with a history spanning years of creating successful and popular products in the industry. Their philosophy is doing “what ever it takes to give creative editors and designers the very best quality tools”.

COMPETITION | SeaShorts

SeaShorts Competition Jury Rithy Panh Rithy Panh is a film documentary director and screenwriter who brought Cambodian cinema to the international stage by being the first to submit Cambodian films for the Oscars. His notable works include: ‘The Khmer Rouge Killing Machine’ (2013), ‘The Missing Picture’ (2013), and ‘First They Killed My Father’ (2017).

Pimpaka Towira Pimpaka was a pioneer among female film directors in the Thai independent film scene since the early 1990s. Her films include ‘One Night Husband’ (2003), ‘The Truth Be Told’ (2007), ‘The Island Funeral’ (2015), all having been collectively played at many international film festivals. She has been the Programme Director of Singapore International Film Festival since 2017.

Philip Cheah Philip Cheah is the editor and film critic of BigO, a Singaporean independent publication dedicated to pop culture. Philip is involved in Jogja-NETPAC Asian Film Festival, Hanoi Film Festival, and Shanghai International Film Festival. He is also a patron of SEA Screen Academy in Indonesia.

COMPETITION | SeaShorts

Selection Committee Sanchai Chotirosseranee Sanchai Chotirosseranee is the Deputy Director of Film Archive (Public Organization). He is also a programmer of Thai Short Film and Video Festival, and Thailandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Silent Film Festival.

Leong Pui Yee Leong Pui Yee is in charge of film programmes and projects at the OBJECTIFS Centre for Photography and Film. She is also the Programme Manager of Singapore International Film Festival.

Fransiska Prihadi More than just an architect, and entrepreneur, Fransiska is also the Programme Director of Minikino and Minikino Film Week since 2015. Currently, she is preparing a thesis on short film festivals for her Masters of Tourism Studies at Udayana University.

COMPETITION | SeaShorts

Seashorts Competiton

The discovery of an actual communist brings changes to a childhood misunderstanding.

Director | Kritsada Nakagate is a film student from Thailand who has made three short films: ‘Undercovered Memory’ (2016), ‘Under The Carpet’ (2016), and ‘Another Dimension’ (2018).

Seashorts Competiton

Four cashier aunties lock themselves up inside a supermarket to protest against their job losses.

Director | Tan Wei Ting is a freelance screenwriter and offline editor in Singapore who enjoys watching honest stories being told. ‘CA$H’ (2018) is her directorial debut.

COMPETITION | SeaShorts

Seashorts Competiton

A Lao-American man brings his father’s ashes to Laos in order to fulfill his last wish – to return home.

Director | Xaisongkham, a 2012 Asian Film Academy alumni, completed his Master’s Degree in Filmmaking in New York under the Fulbright Scholarship in 2015. He has created short fiction and documentary, with the latter, ‘Because I am a Girl…’ (2016) funded by NHK.

High Way Chia Chee Sum | Malaysia | 2017 | Malay | 18 mins

Seashorts Competiton

Danial travels back and forth a public housing flat for his parents, and his beloved t-shirt.

Director | Chia Chee Sum (born 1983, Kuala Lumpur) took part in the Asian Film Academy at Busan International Film Festival in 2007. Through film-making, animation and photography, he tells stories about the peripheral everyday life inspired by urban dwellers.

COMPETITION | SeaShorts

Seashorts Competiton

A caretaker is reminded to check on 85-year-old grandma E-po and her gambling problem.

Director | Pom Bunsermvicha is a director and producer. Her 35mm short film, ‘10:10’, has been screened at BFI Flare and Inside Out Toronto. Meanwhile, Parinee Buthrasri works as a producer and cinematographer. Recently, she was the line producer of ‘By the Time It Gets Dark’.

Seashorts Competiton

A chance encounter leads a pair of old ex-lovers to reunite under the Five Trees.

Director |Nelson Yeo is a Singaporean filmmaker who participated in the Berlinale Talents Tokyo in 2014 as well as the BiFan Fantastic Film School and Autumn Meeting in 2015 and 2016. Currently, he is working on his debut feature film.

COMPETITION | SeaShorts

Seashorts Competiton

The daily life of a gay man whose body is inhabited by ants.

Director | Phạm Quang Trung learned about cinema while studying scriptwriting at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities back in 2010. Then in 2012, he assisted Brazilian filmmaker, Maurisio Osaki, in his ‘My Father’s Truck’ project. ‘The Ant-Man’ is his debut film.

Seashorts Competiton

A Filipino family is pulled apart en route delivering catering for their niece’s wedding in London.

Director | TJ Collanto is a Filipino filmmaker who was raised in Chicago, USA. He received his MA in Filmmaking at the London Film School and has directed five short films while working as a production designer and camera operator.

COMPETITION | SeaShorts

Bangkok Dystopia Patipol Teekayuwat | Thailand | 2017 | Thai | 29 mins

Seashorts Competiton

One night, Noth desires to share a ride with a prostitute.

Director | Patipol Teekayuwat is a graduate of King Mongkutâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Institute of Technology Ladkrabang with a degree in Film and Digital Media.

Seashorts Competiton

Jodilerks Dela Cruz, Employee of the Month Carlo Francisco Manatad | Philippines | 2017 | Filipino | 14 mins

Jodilerks, a gas station attendant, is on her last day of duty.

Director | Carlo Francisco Manatad is a Filipino film director and editor based in Manila.

COMPETITION | SeaShorts

Seashorts Competiton

A single mother struggles with the futility of her relationship with her special needs son.

Director | Wan Xin’s interest lies in issue-based subjects and unconventional characters. She hopes to reveal truths that reality often conceals and to challenge existing ideologies. To her, cinema should always be about its people and for its people.

It’s Easier to Raise Cattle | Lagi Senang Jaga Sekandang Lembu

Seashorts Competiton

Amanda Nell Eu | Malaysia | 2017 | Malay | 18 mins Two teenage outcasts form an uncanny friendship but as one discovers the other’s dark secrets, she observes the changes in her friend to the point of violence, monstrosity, and affection.

Director | Amanda has directed short films based in the UK and Malaysia. She is currently developing her first feature film set in Malaysia. In her work she likes to explore the female identity within the context of South East Asia.

COMPETITION | SeaShorts

Seashorts Competiton

A young girlâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s dog escapes and leaves her with an open wound in her vagina.

Director | Margarita Mina is a film graduate from the University of the Philippines Diliman. She sees the world in hues of magenta and violet. She also enjoys telling stories about girls and children.

Seashorts Competiton

Between Us Two Tan Wei Keong | Singapore | 2017 | Chinese, English | 5 mins

A gay son talks to his dead mother.

Director | Wei Keongâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s animation has been screened at many film festivals, including those at Annecy and Edinburgh. He received the Special Achievement, Special Mention and Best Singapore Short Film awards at Singapore International Film Festival (2007, 2009, 2017).

COMPETITION | SeaShorts

Seashorts Competiton

Joko Suryo Wiyogo | Indonesia | 2017 | Javanese | 22 mins

After quitting school, Joko starts working as a shop porter to cover the cost of his living expenses.

Director | Suryo Wiyogo (born 1986) works as a film producer and line producer in the film industry. In 2016, he was selected to participate in the Berlinale Talents in Germany. ‘Joko’ (2017) is his short film debut as both writer and director.

Our Home Says All About Us Pasit Tandaechanurat | Thailand | 2017 | Thai | 26 mins

Seashorts Competiton

A son returns to his house of dream and reality.

Director |Pasit Tandaechanurat is a graduate of King Mongkut’s Institute of Technology Ladkrabang’s Department of Film and Digital Media. He has made several short films, short documentary and was also the runner-up of the Duke Awards (Documentary Category) in the 20th Thai Short Film & Video Film Festival 2016.

COMPETITION | SeaShorts

Seashorts Competiton

Two sound recordists working on the final mix of a short film. Will their sounds be heard by someone?

Director | Sorayos Prapapan (born 1986, Bangkok) has directed many short films. In 2017, he made his latest short film ‘Death of the Soundman’ which premiered in the Venice Film Festival, Orizzonti section.

Seashorts Competiton

Permanent Resident Nicole Midori Woodford | Singapore | 2017 | Teochew, Mandarin, English | 20 mins

A woman’s obsession with a quarry, Little Guilin, grows as she pretends to purchase a house.

Director | Nicole Midori Woodford is a Singaporean film director, writer, and editor. She is developing her debut feature film ‘You Are There’, which has been awarded at SEAFIC Lab 2017 and recently selected at Torino Film Lab 2018. It explores supernatural trauma and transnational familial ties through a young girl.

COMPETITION | SeaShorts

Seashorts Competiton

Madam Tam is going through a one-month cold war with her ignorant husband. But tonight he is coming home.

Director | Linh Duong (born 1990) is a Vietnamese independent filmmaker. She has completed a trilogy of shorts about middle-aged women and their sufferings, which is largely influenced by her mother. Linh is currently developing her feature debut.

Kampung Tapir Aw See Wee | Malaysia | 2017 | Mandarin, Malay, English | 17 mins

Seashorts Competiton

The struggles of making a living and searching for a better life plagues Anne.

Director |Aw See Wee (born Johor, Malaysia) is a graduate of National Taiwan University of Arts. His works centre around family relationships and social issues.

This competition not only aims to discover new and emerging filmmaking talents in Malaysia but also, by pulling apart the words “Next”, “New” and “Wave” in the name of the award, hope to show unique and strong directorial voices, and encourage undertakings that are brave, sensitive and challenging... in order to continue searching for our own voices in cinema...

Fire. Photo courtesy of Low Pey Sien

The Most Promising Filmmaker Award sponsored by Aputure-Deity Microphones Light Storm COB120 worth USD 645 and Deity Condenser Mircophone worth USD 350

Aputure was founded in 2005 by a team of inspired photographers and filmmakers who wanted to create high-quality content, but struggled with steep cost of equipment needed to do so. Determined to create Professional-grade equipment at an affordable price, they started Aputure: the first company to provide truly affordable camera accessories with the quality and functions needed to fully realize any creative vision.

SPECIAL PROGRAMME: Tokyo short shorts

COMPETITION | Next New Wave

NEXT NEW WAVE COMPETITION Jury Mira Lesmana Mira Lesmana is an Indonesian film producer whose works range from box office successes such as ‘What’s Up with Love?’ (2002), ‘The Rainbow Troops’ (2008), ‘What’s Up with Love? 2’ (2016) to critically acclaimed titles like ‘Gie’ (2005), ‘3 Days to Forever’ (2007), and ‘Emma’’ (2016).

Liew Seng Tat A filmmaker with a unique comedic voice. His debut feature ‘Flower in the Pocket’ (2007) swept multiple awards and prizes in numerous international film festivals including Busan, Rotterdam, Fribourg, and Pesaro.

Thaiddhi Thaiddhi is the co-founder and programmer of Wathann Film Festival. He currently focuses on Myanmar’s film development and education while being an active independent filmmaker.

COMPETITION | Next New Wave

nextnewwave competition

After school, a boy walks along the river, capturing every moment with his camera.

Director | Sim Seow Khee, a graduate of National Taiwan University of Arts, is an independent filmmaker from Kuala Lumpur. In 2010, he participated in the Golden Horse Film Academy. He is currently developing his first feature-length narrative, ‘Ronin of Time’.

nextnewwave competition

The stateless children of Sabah struggle to survive as outcasts in their own land.

Director | Azhar Salleh (born 1990, Sabah) is currently a student pursuing his Masters of Communication in Screen Studies in the University of Science Malaysia. He was formerly a makeup artist attached to M.A.C, and a part-time wedding planner in Penang.

COMPETITION | Next New Wave

nextnewwave competition

Kampung Tapir Aw See Wee | Malaysia | 2017 | Mandarin, Malay, English | 17 mins

The struggles of making a living and searching for a better life plagues Anne.

Director | Aw See Wee (born Johor, Malaysia) is a graduate of National Taiwan University of Arts. His works centre around family relationships and social issues.

nextnewwave competition

Whether Tioman Island belongs to Pahang or Johor, that is the question.

Director | Ooi Wei Seng is a ‘village boy’ from Kedah, a northern state in Malaysia. Ooi then furthered his studies in the Communication University of China. He has produced short films like ‘Jamboree’ and ‘Kampung Tapir’.

COMPETITION | Next New Wave

High Way Chia Chee Sum | Malaysia | 2017 | Malay | 18 mins

nextnewwave competition

Danial travels back and forth a public housing flat for his parents, and his beloved t-shirt.

nextnewwave competition

Lily, burdened by all sorts of problems, decides to sell one of the children to Mrs. Goh.

Director | Soo Tzee Zziung Bennial (born Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia) is a student in the Department of Film and TV, I-Shou University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan. Soo has served as producer and assistant director in some short film projects. ‘Homeless’ (2018) is his first 20-minute short film.

COMPETITION | Next New Wave

nextnewwave competition

After Tango Hui New | Malaysia | 2017 | Mandarin | 15 mins

Two young film students trying to make sense of life. In the end, they become more lost than ever.

Director | “I’m New from Port Dickson. I’m waiting for my friends to come back together and make something to kill all the mosquitoes because they are too noisy.” – Hui New.

Roti Tampal or; A Girl From Another Cosmos | Roti Tampal atau; Gadis dari Kosmos Lagi Satu

nextnewwave competition

Muzzamer Rahman | Malaysia | 2018 | Malay | 9 mins A man on a search for an idea. While reflecting upon the situation, he begins to dream beyond the cosmos.

Director | Muzzamer Rahman graduated in 2013 with a degree in Creative Technology (Screen) from Faculty of Film, Theater and Animation, MARA University of Technology, Malaysia. He began his career as a writer for magazine, television and short film.

COMPETITION | Next New Wave

The Bitter Sweet Watermelon Boy Wen Chuen | Malaysia | 2018 | Mandarin | 11 mins

nextnewwave competition

Chai and Ngong Ngong are on the search for something missing. In the end, they follow the advice of a fortune teller – throw watermelons into the sea.

Director | Boy Wen Chuen (born 1995, Kampar) currently studies cinematography in UNIMAS, Sarawak. ‘The Bitter Sweet Watermelon’ (2018) is a group assignment project made with fellow coursemates Lee Kah Kei and Yow Kai Ching.

nextnewwave competition

Two teenage outcasts form an uncanny friendship but as one discovers the other’s dark secrets, she observes the changes in her friend to the point of violence, monstrosity, and affection.

Director | Amanda has directed short films based in the UK and Malaysia. She is currently developing her first feature film set in Malaysia. In her work, she likes to explore the female identity within the context of Southeast Asia.

SPECIAL PROGRAMME: Tokyo short shorts

The programme consists of three parts showcasing short films by Pimpaka Towira (Thailand), Margaret Bong (Malaysia), Jen J. Balberona (Philippines), Loeloe Hendra Komara (Indonesia), Auraeus Solito (Philippines) and many more.

Foggy Java Sea. Photo courtesy of Low Pey Sien.

Gertjan Zuilhof, (born 1955, Netherlands) has been an art-house programmer based in Leiden, his university town, since 1974. He was formerly the programmer of International Film Festival Rotterdam. Currently, he is an independent programmer and exhibition curator.

Programmer | Gertjan Zuilhof â&#x20AC;&#x153;Divers views on the original inhabitants of the mountains, the plains and the islands of Southeast Asia. Many first nations.â&#x20AC;?

SPECIAL PROGRAMME | Return of the Salt Boy

Bulalacao

return of the salt boy

Wences Ponciano | Philippines | 2017 | 3 mins

The Mangyan indigenous community experience an aerial bombing after an encounter ensues between AFP and NPA Fighters on the 30th of March 2017. Bulalacao (meteor in Tagalog) is also the name of the town where the bombing occurred.

return of the salt boy

Sigbin Jen J. Balberona | Philippines | 2017 | 1 min

Sigbin is a dog-like creature in Filipino folklore said to emerge at night, sucking the blood of its victims with its shadow. It is also known to be a pet of an Aswang (Ghoul).

Onomastika Loeloe Hendra Komara | Indonesia | 2014 | 15 mins

return of the salt boy

A child unnamed by his parents, lives with his grandfather known with many names.

SPECIAL PROGRAMME | Return of the Salt Boy

Salt Boy

return of the salt boy

Margaret Bong | Malaysia | 2006 | 15 mins

Ken, a Kelabit boy who lives with his family in a Kelabit Highlands, collecting salt.

return of the salt boy

Bahag Kings Khavn | Philippines | 2006 | 3 mins

Bahag Kings is an ode to nothing.

The Brief Lifespan of Fire, Act 2 Scene 2, Suring & the Kuk-ok | Ang Maikling Buhay ng Apoy, Act 2 Scene 2, Suring at ang Kuk-ok

return of the salt boy

Auraeus Solito | Philippines | 1995 | 9 mins Based on Palawan indigenous myths, this film is adapted from a scene in the play ‘The Brief Lifespan of Fire’ where Suring retreats to the forest to cast a spell of ‘Absolute Beauty’, befriending the shape-shifter, Kuk-ok, along the way.

SPECIAL PROGRAMME | Return of the Salt Boy

The Return Pimpaka Towira | Thailand | 2017 | 5 mins

return of the salt boy

In an unknown place, Preecha talks to his brother, Hta, as if nothing is happening. A moment later, Preecha realizes that Pa-U, a recently deceased brother, returns to say his farewells.

return of the salt boy

The Purple Kingdom Pimpaka Towira | Thailand | 2016 | 31 mins

Inspired by activist Porlajee Rakchongcharoen (aka Billy)’s court case against the Kaeng Krachan National Park chief and other forestry officials, the film captures Billy’s wife attempts to seek justice for her husband’s disappearance with the juxtaposition of a middle-class woman’s search for her husband’s dead body in the jungle.

Riau Zai Kuning | Singapore | 2005 | 30 mins

return of the salt boy

Riau, part of Zai’s long-term research, is a documentary on the Orang Laut (Sea Gypsies) in the Riau Archipelago.

SPECIAL PROGRAMME | Return of the Salt Boy

Someone’s Wife in the Boat of Someone’s Husband Edwin | Indonesia | 2013 | 55 mins

return of the salt boy

Mariana believes in the mysterious legend of the lovers Halimah and Sukab in the island of Sawai. She journeys to Sawai to experience what Halimah once felt, hoping to find a ‘Sukab’ there but the people of Sawai have never heard of such a legend. Coincidentally, a young man named Sukab also made his way to Sawai. Sukab and Mariana begin a search for something they believe in.

return of the salt boy

Juan Tamad Goes To The Moon (1898) Khavn | Philippines | 2018 | 5 mins

Three years before Melies’ ‘Le Voyage Dans la Lune’ (1902) and ten years before de Chomón’s ‘Excursion dans la Lune’ (1908), indigenous proto-surrealist Filipino filmmaker Narding Salome Exelsio filmed ‘Nagtungo si Juan Tamad sa Buwan’ in 1898 just when Spain sold the Philippines to the Americans for $20 million dollars (VAT not included).

Bontoc Eulogy Marlon Fuentes | Philippines, United States | 1995 | 56 mins

return of the salt boy

An examination of the real and fake reflections of its indigenous inhabitants through the story of a Filipino Igarot warrior brought for display in a World Fair in America.

SPECIAL PROGRAMME: Tokyo short shorts

Our programmer Thomas Barker has curated a short film programme showcasing the early works of Indonesia directors such as Hanny Saptura, Rizal Mantovani, Jay Subiakto, Harry Suharyadi, Ravi Bharwani, and many others.

Eggs. Photo courtesy of Low Pey Sien.

Programmer | Thomas Barker “Big directors start small. Marking twenty years since reformasi, step back in time to see the small beginnings of Indonesia’s now big directors.”

Thomas Barker is a Howard-era refugee from Australia who has since settled in Malaysia where he is Associate Professor and Head of Film and Television at the University of Nottingham.

SPECIAL PROGRAMME | Mahakarya Pertama

Happy Ending Harry Suharyadi | Indonesia | 1995 | 11 mins Harry Suharyadi questions the effects of media (comics, movies, and performance) on two young boys. ‘Happy Ending’ was screened at international short film festivals in Toronto, Singapore, Palm Springs, and Tampere and won an award at the 1st Busan International Film Festival in 1996.

Two Notes | Dua Nada Ravi Bharwani | Indonesia | 1990 | 12 mins Ravi Bharwani made ‘Dua Nada’ (Two Notes) as his graduating film at IKJ in 1990. The film uses sound and gesture to explore the psychological relationship between a middleaged man and his son as they play the cello together.

Dearest Mask | Topeng Kekasih Hanung Bramantyo | Indonesia | 2001 | 20 mins ‘Topeng Kekasih’ (Dearest Mask) continues the themes from Bramantyo’s now-lost first work ‘Tlutur’ (Broken Glass). A small family of performers in Yogyakarta struggle to keep a family secret that has been inducing trauma for many generations.

SPECIAL PROGRAMME | Mahakarya Pertama

Old Man | Lelaki Tua Hanny SapUTra | Indonesia | 1991 | 12 mins ‘Lelaki Tua’ (Old Man) is Hanny Saputra’s profile of the Indonesian writer and academic, HB Jassin. A towering figure of modern literature from the 1950s to 1990s, HB Jassin was at times controversial and contrarian, earning the moniker of “The Pope of Indonesian Literature” for his role as the gatekeeper of Indonesian writing and publishing.

The Little Gayo Singer *No english subtitle

Nan Triveni Achnas | Indonesia | 1995 | 24 mins

A major performer in the traditional form of sung poetry, Kabri rehearses with his father’s team in preparation for a marathon singing competition. The Little Gayo Singer is an aesthetically shot portrait of an extraordinary ten-year-old Indonesian boy, who together with glimpses of his life as an ordinary village child, is portrayed with moving images of intense concentration and presence.

Sonata Kampung Bata Riri Riza | Indonesia | 1991 | 14 mins Riri Riza’s short film, made during his film school days, depicts a boy’s desire to ride on a merry-go-round. The film was screened and awarded at the Oberhausen Short Film Festival in 1994. The screening is made possible with the help of the Asian Film Archive (Singapore) who digitised the 16mm original.

SPECIAL PROGRAMME: Tokyo short shorts

Programmer Norman Yusoff and Mohd Erman Maharam curate a programme showcasing 5 different short films from Southeast Asia dealing with the notion of borders and boundaries.

Pedestrian bridge near a night market. Photo courtesy of Chloe Yap.

Norman Yusoff teaches film studies in Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) with articles published in the Asian Cinema and the International Film Guide. He is also a film columnist with Mingguan Malaysia and curates the fortnightly Wayang Budiman programme.

Mohd Erman Maharam is a senior lecturer in UiTM’s Faculty of Film, Theatre and Animation. He has worked as a cinematographer for several Malaysian films. Currently, he is a University of Nottingham Malaysia PhD candidate.

Programmer 1 | Norman Yusoff Programmer 2 | Mohd Erman Maharam “An anthology of five short films from Southeast Asia that generally deal with notion of border and boundary, either literally or metaphorically. Some of the themes explored by the filmmakers include: journeys and border crossing; belonging and displacement; issue around identity; and question of memory and nostalgia, among others.”

SPECIAL PROGRAMME | Screening Borders and Boundaries

Dreams | Angan-Angan Sheron Dayoc | The Philippines | 2008 | 15 mins Satra, a nine-year-old girl has been mute for as long as she could remember. Her determination to secure a proper education reverberates clearly amid the strictness of her Yakan culture. The Yakan are one of the 13 Moro groups in the Philippines residing mainly in Basilan, Mindanao.

Azman Sherman Ong | Malaysia, Singapore | 2016 | 15 mins An Acehnese man describes his father’s journey from Acheh to Penang, growing up in Malaysia, and losing his entire family clan in Acheh. Azman is part of the ‘Motherland’ series where Sherman Ong explores the relationship between humans with their surroundings, and the notion of spatial memory.

Fragile | Rapuh Bebbra Mailin | Malaysia | 2015 | 10 mins Nirwana is a 12-year old with big dreams of becoming a singer. Her opportunities are cut short as she originates from a family of Indonesian migrants in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah.

So-khin Chaweng Chaiyawan | Thailand | 2017 | 18 mins So and Khin, a married couple from Myanmar find work in a southern Thai rubber plantation. They face the struggles of labour exploitation and local persecution in the midst of political unrest between the three southern Thai provinces.

Parting Boo Jun Feng | Singapore | 2015 | 13 mins An elderly man travels to Singapore with the KTM to look for an old flame he lost contact with. ‘Parting’ is one of seven short films in featured in ‘7 Letters’, a 2015 anthology commissioned to commemorate Singapore’s 50th year of independence.

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Car window on a rainy day. Photo courtesy of Chloe Yap.

Recently graduated, Chloe is an aspiring filmmaker and video artist. She mostly uses the film and video medium to confront her personal struggles and questions.

Programmer | Chloe Yap “Sometimes you want try to figure out what’s wrong with how you see the world. Maybe it’s just how the world is - it’s too vast, too untouchable. Maybe it’s how it sees you.”

SPECIAL PROGRAMME | The Window is Closed, Partially

Away Tang Kang Sheng | Singapore | 2018 | Chinese, English | 9 mins While travelling overseas, an urgent phone call from home arrives.

Laundry Night Trần Thành | Vietnam | 2018 | Vietnamese | 10 mins In the middle of the night, a laundry boy falls in love with a strange girl by the radio programme.

Quadrilaterals Martika Ramirez Escobar | Philippines | 2017 Filipino | 16 mins A meta-documentary of a former Overseas Filipino Worker in his home in Manila.

When the rain is falling down | ข้างนอกฝนหยุดตกยัง Nakhen Puttikulangkura | Thailand | 2017 Thai | 25 mins While closing down her father’s company, Fon is reminded of a man who shares memories of the same place.

SPECIAL PROGRAMME | The Window is Closed, Partially

Low Season Natthapat Kraitrudphon | Thailand | 2017 | Thai | 19 mins When the annual rainy season arrives, migrant workers are forced to find new jobs.

Salted Egg Nikki Koh | Singapore | 2018 | Chinese, Hainanese | 15 mins Nikki returns to her mother’s homeland to document a recipe, renewing her sense of belonging.

SPECIAL PROGRAMME: Tokyo short shorts

Threading. Photo courtesy of Low Pey Sien.

Programmer | Fabrizio Gilardino “When I started to curate screenings around Southeast Asia featuring animation shorts, I was very often confronted with the assumption that ‘animation’ was what Pixar and Disney were doing, or that it had to look like a Japanese anime movie or a computer-made, action-packed video-game. This selection is proof that despite those assumptions there are dozens of Southeast Asian animators who refuse to conform and, au contraire, explore uncharted territories and create fascinating and highly idiosyncratic universes.”

Fabrizio Gilardino is a graphic artist, independent curator, and founder of AWAS! (A Weekend of Animation Shorts). For SeaShorts 2018, Fabrizio has curated a Southeast Asian animation programme.

SPECIAL PROGRAMME | Philms and Cheeps: SEA Animated Snacks

Neither Lit nor Dark Chanon Treenet | Thailand | 2013 | 11 mins Inspired from Thai mythology and childhood memories, ‘Neither Lit nor Dark’ takes place when the sun is setting – the day is about to end, and the night is yet to arrive. A boy is on his way home.

Melusina (Part II) Megan Palero | Philippines | 2014 | 4 mins Inspired by Western freshwater legends, ‘Melusina’ is a collaborative music video project produced by KaapiN and Megan Palero in an attempt to outline social disorder in a state of normlessness.

Pifuskin Tan Wei Keong | Singapore | 2014 | 5 mins A man scratches the skin he lives in.

The Hunt Mai Nguyen Hong Ngoc and Miyako Makio | Vietnam & Japan | 2016 | 2 mins

A boy’s curious hand accidentally stirs the ancient cave paintings to life. He soon discovers the long lost lives of his ancestors and nature’s seamless food-chain unfolding before him.

SPECIAL PROGRAMME | Philms and Cheeps: SEA Animated Snacks

What Has to Be Jerrold Chong | Singapore | 2017 | 11 mins A married couple grapples with the tragic death of their firstborn while awaiting the arrival of a second child. Their recollections reveal a dark, repressed history within the space that they call home.

Purr Pailin Tantiprasongchai | Thailand | 2016 | 4 mins When one sister is a cat lover and the other is allergic to cats, the sisters have to do something before the cat destroys their sisterhood.

A Brief History of Time CraveFX | Singapore | 2016 | 2 mins In this conceptual animated short, an comedic performance occurs when past, present, and future realities overlap and interact in an environment where time has no start or end.

To Touch Supanan Wataniyakun | Thailand | 2017 | 2 mins The mind of artist Barbara Hepworth is narrated through a travel into the abstract world, representing the engagement of sculptors with their audience.

SPECIAL PROGRAMME | Philms and Cheeps: SEA Animated Snacks

Three the Peehood Kapie Eipak | Singapore | 2016 | 4 mins One, two, one, two, one, two, one, two, one, two, one, two, one, two, one, two, one, two, one, two, one, two, one, two, one, two, one, two…

Going Home to Indonesia I

Pulang ke Indonesia

Dessy Tab | Indonesia | 2016 | 5 mins The youngest daughter (4-years-old) of an Indonesian family living in France for a few years narrates the family’s return to Indonesia. Her memories are mixed up with a child’s imagination.

Contained Harry and Henry Zhuang | Singapore | 2010 | 5 mins A flower, a man and an island. A man sets up his containment in an isolated island with his beloved flower.

Roda Pantura Hizkia Subiyantoro | Indonesia | 2016 | 19 mins An Indonesian truck driver, pressured by his struggles to support his family during the 1998 economic crisis, is caught up in the ‘Pantura’ lifestyle of alcoholism, gambling, and prostitution.

SPECIAL PROGRAMME: Tokyo short shorts

S-Express is an annual collaboration of short film programmes from eight countries (Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia, Myanmar, Cambodia, Malaysia, The Philippines, and Vietnam). This programme is an insight into the development of film-making in the region. It aims to bring the selected films from each region to travel to their neighbouring countries.

Place of worship. Photo courtesy of Low Pey Sien.

Programmers | Sanchai Chotirosseranee (Thailand), Leong Pui Yee (Singapore), Thaiddhi (Myanmar), Francis Joseph Cruz (Philippines), Marcus Manh Cuong Vu (Vietnam), Fransiska Prihadi (Indonesia), Tan Chui Mui (Malaysia), HĂŠlĂ¨ne Ouvrard (Laos) and Park Sungho (Cambodia).

SPECIAL PROGRAMME | S-Express 2018

Thailand | Programmer: Sanchai Chotirosseranee Sanchai Chotirosseranee is the Deputy Director of the Film Archive (Public Organisation), Thailand.

“The program does not only present the works of talented young Thai filmmakers but to also counter the dominant social and political consciousness found in Thailand’s society.”

Song X Pathompon Tesprateep | Thailand | 2017 | 21 mins A deserter embarks on a journey after discovering his body lying lifelessly on the ground. He not only encounters a group of teenagers intending to cremate him, but also military patrol in search of his body.

Choke Suthawee Chotrattanasak | Thailand | 2017 | 4 mins The mental state of people with eating disorders.

Bangkok Dystopia Patipol Teekayuwat | Thailand | 2017 | 28 mins One night, Noth desires to share a ride with a prostitute.

FFF Nonthachan Prakobsup | Thailand | 2017 | 20 mins An accident leaves scars on Pao and Aeung.

SPECIAL PROGRAMME | S-Express 2018

Singapore | Programmer: Leong Pui Yee “The inner turmoil and emotional conflict of the human psyche takes centre stage in these four diverse stories about everyday life and culture.”

Pui Yee is the Programme Manager of Singapore International Film Festival. She is also a Manager at OBJECTIFS, where she is responsible for the film programmes and projects.

Still is Time Gladys Ng | Singapore | 2017 | 15 mins Time comes to a standstill when a father is consumed with his emotions during his daughter’s wedding – undergoing a curious episode of profound metaphysical ramification.

What Has To Be Jerrold Chong | Singapore | 2017 | 11 mins A married couple grapples with the recollections of the tragic death of their firstborn, revealing a dark repressed history within the space they call ‘home’.

Rehearsal Jonathan Choo, Rachel Liew, Shammini G | Singapore | 2017 | 16 mins An actor discovers his son’s university application that was supposed to be mailed out in the boot of his car. The mistake leads him to drive around as he formulates an excuse.

Wu Song Slays The Seductress Kirsten Tan | Singapore | 2017 | 12 mins A dance of seduction and murder. ‘Wu Song’ is a contemporary reinterpretation of ‘The Water Margins’, merging both modern cinematic and traditional Chinese Teochew dramatic forms.

SPECIAL PROGRAMME | S-Express 2018

Myanmar | Programmer: Thaiddhi Thaiddhi is co-founder and programmer of Wathann Film Festival. Currently, he is focusing on Myanmar’s film development and education while being an active independent filmmaker.

“This year’s programme I try to select different style of films from Myanmar filmmakers including documentary, short fiction, and animation films. These days, young filmmakers want to explore more into short fiction films.”

Train Sai Kong Kham | Myanmar | 2017 | 20 mins A Journey of self-discovery on the Yangon circular train.

Thaa Shin Pyu Edo Vader | Myanmar | 2017 | 12 mins Ko Bo Maung who’s been planning to ordinate his son, is left homeless after a land seizure. One day, he stumbles upon a neighbour who died selling his kidney.

The Boat In The Lake Nyi Pu, Thadi Htar | Myanmar | 2017 | 12 mins The ‘mind’ of the human being swimming in the samsara circle of Buddhism.

Ok, I’m Fine Aung Htet | Myanmar | 2017 | 15 mins GG is a young girl living with her grandmother. She reluctantly follows her grandmother’s advice to attend school but begins to face problems that her grandmother is unknown to.

SPECIAL PROGRAMME | S-Express 2018

Philippines | Programmer: Francis Joseph Cruz Francis has served as member and jury alike in local and international film festivals. In the meantime, he writes about cinema for various publications.

“Diverse voices coming from differing geographies and convictions, all in unity in showing relevant stories where culture and tradition are at odds with the flexibility of gender and sexuality.”

Sorry for the Inconvenience Carl Chavez | Philippines | 2017 | 11 mins Joshua, a timid teenager, comes home one night after being beaten up by a school bully. With the urge to avenge himself, he decides to take matters into his own hands. But things don’t go as planned. Now, he is left with no choice but to seek help from his policeman father.

Contestant #4 Jared Joven, Kaj Palanca | Philippines | 2016 | 19 mins A young boy frequently visits an old man who lives alone. One night, he chances upon the old man watching a dated clip of himself cross-dressing.

Astri & Tambulah | Si Astri maka si Tambulah Xeph Suarez | Philippines | 2017 | 18 mins

Astri is a transwoman in a relationship with Tambulah, a fellow dance partner. However, Sama-Bajau traditions and an old pact haunt Astri to marry a woman she hardly knows.

Dory Beverly Ramos | Philippines | 2017 | 20 mins Dory is about a 101-year-old trans woman who walks around the streets of Tondo, Manila where she works as a beautician. As she faces her twilight years alone, she ponders whether her long life is a gift from God or a curse.

SPECIAL PROGRAMME | S-Express 2018

Vietnam | Programmer: Marcus Manh Cuong Vu Marcus works as a film programmer, producer, and critic in Ho Chi Minh City. Previously, he was festival director of Yxine Film Fest from 2010 to 2014.

“‘Hardly speakable’ – it seems to be the phenomenon of contemporary Vietnamese society. The youth, the working conditions, love and dreams are the main themes presented in this year’s S-Express Vietnam.”

Sanctuary Ostin Fam | Vietnam | 2017 | 15 mins A young man encounters another mysterious young man and start living together as a couple. Can this relationship endure long?

No Man’s Land | Vùng đệm Thu Uyên | Vietnam | 2017 | 9 mins Last night I dreamt of the moon hanging at my sight. The sky was the ground and the ground was a new shore of living.

Ephemera | Muộn HO Thanh Thảo | Vietnam | 2017 | 21 mins Absorbed with a personal trouble, the frustrations of a young woman escalates when she suspects that her boyfriend is being unfaithful to her.

XX2061 PhAm . Thu Thủy | Vietnam | 2016 | 16 mins A clumsy robot is assigned to take care of an old lady who has dementia.

SPECIAL PROGRAMME | S-Express 2018

Indonesia | Programmer: Fransiska Prihadi Fransiska is the programme director of Minikino, an international short film festival organization based in Bali-Indonesia.

“A glimpse of Indonesian short films from experimental to documentary and fiction, all longing for sincerity.”

Barakabut Roufy Nasution | Indonesia | 2018 | 10 mins Drupadi’s mythical journey to find her long separated lover.

Hangout | Dolan Bareng J.Kevin Setya Wijaya | Indonesia | 2018 | 5 mins A cinematic poetry about boredom.

Ojek Lusi Winner Wijaya | Indonesia | 2017 | 18 mins In 2006, a mud volcano erupted onto a gas drilling site in Sidoarjo causing the loss of homes which are yet to be compensated. Some victims now earn a living through dark tourism.

Fatimah Adi Marsono | Indonesia | 2017 | 13 mins Fatimah visits her late husband’s grave and discovers new revelations.

SPECIAL PROGRAMME | S-Express 2018

C’est La Vie RatrikalA Bhre Aditya | Indonesia | 2017 | 18 mins After years held in detention without trial, a political prisoner receives the chance to testify.

Malaysia | Programmer: Tan Chui Mui “A programme of 3 short films about young filmmakers and the stories about their dreams, desires, and loves.”

A filmmaker who directs SeaShorts Film Festival and runs workshops for young filmmakers.

After Tango Hui New | Malaysia | 2017 | Mandarin | 15 minS Two young film students trying to make sense of life. In the end they are more lost than ever.

Walid Mahu Bikin Filem Isyraqi Yahya | Malaysia | 2015 | 21 mins Walid is a young film student with a distorted view about the world, especially with the Cannes Film Festival. ‘Walid Mahu Bikin Filem’ mirrors the narcissism found in us.

I Just Want You To Love Me Sathisvaran Santhian, Chloe Yap, Jacky Yeap, Isyraqi Yahya, Elise Shick, Hanloong Lim | Malaysia | 2017 | 22 mins In search for their philosophies of love, six directors set out on a love story solitaire for a night called “I Just Want You To Love Me”.

SPECIAL PROGRAMME | S-Express 2018

Laos | Programmer: Hélène Ouvrard Based in Laos since 2008, Hélène Ouvrard is a consultant working in the Lao cultural sector. She is the co-director of Vientianale Film Festival and also curates programmes consisting of Lao short films for various festivals to promote emerging Lao filmmakers.

“An observation by young Lao directors of the multiple aspects of social change with its new possibilities and side effects.”

Selfish Souliya Phoumivong | Laos | 2018 | 4 mins Two people cross paths. What are their true intentions?

Motion of Life Vilayphong Phongsavanh | Laos | 2013 | 17 mins Meet Laos’ first free-running team.

Kompin Xeng Yang | Laos | 2017 | 3 mins Kompin is a traditional lantern with moving shadows only found in the former Lao royal capital of Luang Prabang. Made to celebrate the light boat festival, it is a disappearing art that some are trying to pass on to the next generation.

The Long Way Home Xaysongkham Induangchanthy | Laos | 2017 | 21 mins James, a young Lao-American, brings his father’s ashes to Laos to fulfill his last wish of returning home. But first, he must endure the journey and differences with his relative, Joi.

SPECIAL PROGRAMME | S-Express 2018

Overtime Soukthavone Panyaphone | Laos | 2018 | 7 mins How far can you go to meet your deadline?

Cambodia | Programmer: Park Sungho “This year’s S-Express Cambodia presents some of the best short films directed by young talents. They are frontiers in themes and styles including action, sci-fi and experimental films.”

Park Sungho is currently a programmer of Cambodia International Film Festival and is working to promote Cambodian cinema globally.

Mélancolie (n.) Shanghai Chang | Cambodia | 2017 | 7 mins A bold self-observation and discovery against conventional prejudices.

Money Lim Heng | Cambodia | 2018 | 10 mins The pursuit of guilty desires in future Phnom Penh

Khema Sokharo Hang | Cambodia | 2017 | 8 mins A tribute to the beauty and dreaminess of the traditional Khmer dance.

SPECIAL PROGRAMME | S-Express 2018

The Rice Field Kong Sovansreychhouk | Cambodia | 2017 |16 mins A re-enactment of the story of young lovers during the Khmer Rouge regime.

Red Gloves Sophasa | Cambodia | 2017 | 10 mins The blood, sweat and tears among Cambodian kickboxers.

Mee Tumpaing Cheun Cheu Heng | Cambodia | 2017 | 10 mins A physically talented woman brings justice to unfair circumstances

SPECIAL PROGRAMME: Tokyo short shorts

FLY is an annual “ASEAN-ROK Cooperation Project” funded by “ASEAN-ROK Cooperation Fund”. Initiated in 2012, the “ASEAN-ROK Film Leaders Incubator: FLY” selects 22 aspiring filmmakers from the 10 Southeast Asian countries and South Korea to be divided into two groups to make short films within a 2-week supervision and instruction by notable Asian filmmakers in a film-making workshop. It is regularly organized by the Busan Film Commission-Busan Asian Film School and the Asian Film Commissions Network with supporting film industry agencies in ASEAN countries taking turns every year to co-organize the event.

Fluorescent lights. Photo courtesy of Low Pey Sien.

Choi Yoon is a film producer who has produced notable films such as ‘Blue Swallow’ (2005), ‘Beautiful Sunday’ (2007), and ‘My Father’ (2007). Previously, he served as the director of Busan Film Commission, Busan Asian Film School, and was President of the Asian Film Commissions Network (2016-2018). He was also the executive producer of FLY in 2016 and in 2017.

Producer | Choi Yoon “We selected six films for the FLY showcase in SeaShorts 2018 from in total twelve short films made during the six editions of FLY workshop held from 2012 to 2017. All the six films deal with themes of the relationships between people, mostly those within a family so audiences will be able to fully empathize and sympathize with the characters in the films beyond the borders.”

SPECIAL PROGRAMME | FLY Workshop

Escape Philippines | 2012 | English | 9 mins

A family travels to Davao, Philippines for a family vacation but all eyes are on their phone screens. Participants | Fadillah HJ Amzah, Rithea Phichith, Nurul Komariah, Lee Seohyeon, Thongphachanh Philavanh, Ahmad Muzzammil Bin Abdul Rahman, Zay Yar Aung, John Raymond Macahilas, Mildred Chia, Le Do Ngoc Linh

Beyond the Frame Arisa, distraught over her amnesiac mother’s condition, desires to capture photos of them together. When Somchai’s camera is stolen, she is accused of thievery.

Thailand | 2013 | Thai | 13 mins

Participants | Mohammad Bakhtiar Bin Sulaiman, Sam Tola, Dimas Rizki Agustian, Kure Ryoji, Rand Ramzy Philip Beiruty, Jeong You-won, Ananda Kenchanh, Mohd Taufik Bin Zakaria, Aung Myat, Giancarlo Lauro Calipusan Abrahan V, K Hanshen Sudderuddin, Lu Hsien-yen, Napat Tangsanga, Nam Ngo Phu

The Missing Myanmar | 2014 | Burmese | 16 mins

‘The Missing’ comprises of six short films about a missing child. Inspired by Exquisite Corpse, it is narrated from multiple POVs including the child himself. Participants | Nippy Juffri, Leng Sopheak, Ali Eunoia (Budiyanto), Kim Hyungong, Thanouphet Onmavong, Buddy Anwardi, Kaung Sint Tha, Alexandra Poblette, Leng Sopheak, Natdanai Naksuwan, Mai Thi Bup

SPECIAL PROGRAMME | FLY Workshop

Children of Rain | Anak Hujan Malaysia | 2015 | Malay | 17 mins

With her family growing further apart, Ana makes the biggest decision of her life in an attempt to bring them back together again. Participants | Amirul Jazli bin Jali, Waskitha Weninging Galih, Sudsada Sengmanephone, Sharifah Aleysha binti Syed Zainal Rashid, Aung Htet, Andrei Karoly A. Hernandez (Amaya Han), Lin Junxian, Verapath Pakayangkul, Du Ngan Linh

Departure Lin, after having several conflicts with her father, leaves home to study architectural design abroad. A few years later, she finds her father absent at home.

Cambodia | 2016 | Khmer | 12 mins

Participants | Muhammad Aznil Bin Haji Yunus, Hot Ravy, Michelle Lawrence, Kim Youngduk, Hongluedee Saisamphun, Kathy Tan, Myat Thiri Htoo, Carlo Enciso Catu, Muhammad Rifyal Giffari Bin Mohamed Yacob, Ken Dhanasiridhorn, Doan Minh Xuan Thanh

The Sand & The Sea Indonesia | 2017 | Bahasa Indonesia | 14 mins

Banyu receives an unexpected call from his estranged father and arrives to find him stranded by the empty roadside. Participants | Amali Hj Roslin, Cheun Cheu Heng, Gerry Fairus Irsan, Mitpasa Sitthihukpanya, Benedict Lazaroo, Thatoe Kyaw, Che Tagyamon, Ong Wei Ting, Ploypailin Tangprabhaporn, Le Quyhn Anh

SPECIAL PROGRAMME: Tokyo short shorts

Shortcuts is a competitive short film funding scheme for new directorial voices through educating and nurturing via mentorship and workshops. A total of 3 phases for this workshop including Storytelling Workshop, Script Development Workshop and Pre-Production workshops. At the end of the workshop, 3 Best Scripts will be given RM40,000 funding each to produce their short film.

Mirror reflection. Photo courtesy of Low Pey Sien.

Film Representative | Alea Rahim

Alea Rahim is a Creative Producer at Astro Shaw who specializes in content development. Aleaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s film career began in New York 2008, working in crew. She has co-produced two feature films and was a coorganizer of the Shortcuts (2015) program.

SPECIAL PROGRAMME | Shortcuts

Brave | Berani Abhilash Chandra | 2016 | Malay | 18 mins After discovering a stranger buried up to his neck in the middle of a Malaysian palm oil plantation, Adi struggles to decide if he should save the man or not.

Kampung Tapir Aw See Wee | Malaysia | 2016 | Mandarin, Malay, English | 17 mins One Sunday afternoon, migrant worker Anne and her husband leave their five-year-old daughter in Kampung Tapir, Malaysia. While trying to choose a country to settle down in, Anne finds that she is like the endangered Malayan tapir, still drifting around in search of a better life.

Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Easier to Raise Cattle | Lagi Senang Jaga Sekandang Lembu Amanda Nell Eu | Malaysia | 2016 | Malay | 18 mins Two teenage outcasts form an uncanny friendship but as one discovers the otherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s dark secrets, she observes the changes in her friend to the point of violence, monstrosity, and affection.

SPECIAL PROGRAMME: Tokyo short shorts

Love makes things possible. Both rhetoric and poetic as most love letters may look like, this collection of films reflects the shared world view of young filmmakers from Southeast Asia and Japan presented in a rather creative manner. Made during the “...and Action! Asia” workshop, this annual collaborative opportunity was initiated in 2015 by the Japan Foundation Asia Center.

Bonphana’s letter. Image courtesy of Cambodia’s Ministry of Culture.

Programmer | Yow Chong Lee

Happily trapped in the film world, Yow Chong Lee is an academic hoping to lure more young minds and souls into it. Since 2013, he has been directing and programming for Mini Film Festival, the longest existing students’ film festival in Malaysia.

SPECIAL PROGRAMME | Love Letters to/from Japan

Red Kenji Hayashi | Philippines | 2017 | 8 mins A university student faces a confusing situation in choosing the right colour for herself. Participants | Kenji Hayashi (Director), Brainard Bill Barrinuevo (Producer), Anthony Saleh Ngau, Katrina Ysabel Villarosa, Herry Setyadi,Tin Chanabangkaew Mentor | Makoto Watanabe

Taste of Life Attawut Intagoon | Philippines | 2017 | 7 mins An unlikely meet-up between a food blogger and a local tour guide sees the development of a relationship beyond friendship. Participants | Attawut Intagoon (Director), Lorenzo Miguel B. Hilario (Producer), Evan Secunda, Nehemiah Yap Jia Sheng, Koichiro Ishii, Alphonzo C. Alegrado Mentors | Nuntanat Duangtisarn, Yusmita Akhirul Latif

Kelly and the TV Head Nur Ikmar Bin Sarbini | Philippines | 2017 | 6 mins Kelly is brought to a local cinema and experiences an unexpected cinematic reminiscence. Participants | Nur Ikmar Bin Sarbini (Director), Katrina May B. Banaag (Producer), Egha Muhammad Harismina, Supakit Sonsee, Kento Fukuda, John Peter Cadiz Chua, Gilan Paolo P. Ilagan

Mentors | Yow Chong Lee, Sari Raissa Lluch Dalena

SPECIAL PROGRAMME | Love Letters to/from Japan

The Image of Secret Jirakan Sakunee | Japan | 2018 | 10 mins When a personal ‘image of secret’ is drawn, it revisits and ponders the concept of ‘secrets’. Participants | Jirakan Sakunee (Director), Daiju Yoshida (Producer), Ryota Kusama, Moeri Hirose, Tran Huu Thanh, Kasmirul Iqmal Noruden, Wravong Phrachanh Mentors | Makoto Watanabe, Utako Koguchi, Takuya Misawa

Daily Train Herald Nyumbang Anak Nyulim | Japan | 2018 | 9 mins A young couple experience love at first sight in a train station. But things don’t seem to be going that easy for them. Participants | Herald Nyumbang Anak Nyulim (Director), Kyohei Horikawa (Producer), Nguyen Diep Thuy Anh, Sarun Kositsukjaroen, Sho Fujimoto, Phoutthanome Keopaseuth, Akane Sasaki Mentors | Makoto Watanabe, Utako Koguchi, Takuya Misawa

Your Shirt, My Socks Ekin Kee Charles | Japan | 2018 | 13 mins The laundry’s ‘lost-and-found’ connects strangers to form budding friendship. Participants | Ekin Kee Charles (Director), Mayuko Ashizawa (Producer/Screenplay), Nguyen Le Hoang Viet, Kim Myoungyoon, Myumyu Higashiyama, Witchayoot Ponpraserd, Mayuko Okada, Xayaveth Keovilay Mentors | Makoto Watanabe, Utako Koguchi, Takuya Misawa

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Tattoo on Body. Photo courtesy of Chloe Yap.

Koya Yamashita has been the festival director of Image Forum Festival since 2001. He was also the programmer of the Theater Image Forum in Tokyo since 2005. Besides that, he was the guest programmer/curator for many film and media art events both locally and internationally.

Programmer | Koya Yamashita â&#x20AC;&#x153;Most of them born in the 90s, the female artists take up animation as a tool to carve the world outside.â&#x20AC;?

SPECIAL PROGRAMME | Me and Me’: Female Japanese Animation Artists Now

Double Eyes Mizuki Kiyama| Japan | 2015 | 5 mins A never-ending story of two similar yet different beings merging into one then separating one from the other.

Hairy Heaven Minori Yamanda| Japan | 2015 | 6 mins A girl’s dissatisfaction with her co-habitating lover’s lack of delicacy intensifies along with her armpit hair that grows longer day by day. Once her frustrations peaked, the hair flows out and transforms into a giant monster who wanders the city at night.

A Girl Held Between the Trees Since Birth Chihiro Yamanaka| Japan | 2017 | 5 mins Images of landscapes created by line drawings, paintings, and computer graphics are interspersed with live shots of a woman absorbed in her painting. They evoke the disorder, indistinctness, and uneasy silence of a young artist’s wavering heart.

Starting Over Mika Seike | Japan | 2016 | 8 mins “You fall every time before achieving your goal. After each fall, the glass held in your hand breaks, then everything starts again from scratch. But there are things one can only discover through repetition. The answer lies within yourself.”

SPECIAL PROGRAMME | Me and Me’: Female Japanese Animation Artists Now

To Heel Madoka | Japan | 2016 | 10 mins Four remarkably different women live in the same city, each suffocating in their own way while persevering in their own little secrets and pleasures. These are their ordinary lives, strange yet somehow endearing.

GYRO Madoka | Japan | 2016 | 6 mins An animation that challenges traditional sexist roles, featuring ‘a man who rules with his nose’ and ‘a woman whose face has been erased’ with a setting reminiscent of the Garden of Eden and an accompaniment of a mellow reggae BGM.

Reply; Repeat Repeated; Delete; Favorite Favorited Rieko Ouchi | Japan | 2014 | 6 mins Squalid advertising images in the city’s back alleys, junk emails and banners stretched across websites – they are all reminiscent of the Internet’s bill-boarded roadsides or even the illustration of the Internet’s landscape.

I have the Future Rieko Ouchi | Japan | 2016 | 15 mins “My mother is a ghost. My father is a cat. He is an elementary school teacher.” In a world where characters have a sense of déjà vu and the story is disconnected, this animation embraces incessant stress and tension.

Live music performance by Zai Kuning & Kamal Sabran Over the past 18 years, Zai Kuning’s fascination with the forgotten and misunderstood history of the Malay world has brought him onto a journey that stretches across the maritime realm of Sumatra, Riau Archipelago, up to the Andaman Sea. Chronicles of Amnesia (CoA) is a documentation of his search for the enigmatic orang laut (sea people), encounters with a troupe struggling to sustain the tradition of ancient Malay opera Mak Yong, and discovery of the forgotten king, Dapunta Hyang Srijayanasa from the 7th-century Srivijayan empire. CoA is currently shown as a work in progress, as the artist continues to explores its music composition over the next 2 years.

Bird’s Eye. Photo courtesy of LowvPey Sien.

Zai Kuning Zai Kuning is considered one of Singapore’s pioneer experimental artists and is recognised for his multitudinous roles, including painter, dancer, poet, sculptor, choreographer, actor, director, musician, playwright and filmmaker.

Kamal Sabran Kamal Sabran is an artist, designer, and researcher whose works intersect art, science and technology. He has won the Best New Media Artist Award in 2004 and the ASEAN New Media Artist Award in 2007.

SPECIAL PROGRAMME: Tokyo short shorts

Spilled ice-cream. Photo courtesy of Chloe Yap.

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PANEL DISCUSSION

FILM FORUM

Film Viewing: Small Screens vs. Big Screens

With the advent of online streaming, YouTube and downloads, cinema-going may be facing the strongest competition since television, video or even DVDs. How do new viewing platforms (Netflix, Amazon) and spaces alter or contribute to existing screening practices?

PANEL DISCUSSION

Umapagan Ampikaipakan Umapagan is BFM89.9’s radio producer and co-host of “The Evening Edition”. He is also a film critic on “At The Movies” and literary critic on “Bookmark”, both being segments on BFM. When not on the radio, he runs the yearly “The Cooler Lumpur Festival” in KL.

What’s So Great about Southeast Asian Films?

Moderator

Khoo Gaik Cheng Gaik is Associate Professor at The University of Nottingham where she teaches film and cultural studies. Gaik founded the Association of Southeast Asian Cinemas in 2004. Her publications focus on Malaysian cinema, food and civil society.

PANEL DISCUSSION

Moderator

How many Malaysians can name films from their neighbouring countries? This panel of film programmers will share with us which Southeast Asian short films excite them. Panel members | Sanchai Chotirosseranee, Fransiska Prihadi and Francis Joseph Cruz

Our Stories? The Narrative of Southeast Asia

“What is a nation without the stories it tells itself? How important is it for diverse stories within a nation to get told? And what are the strategies to get these stories made and seen?” Panel members | Zai Kuning and Riri Riza

Moderator

Amir Muhammad Amir Muhammad is a Malaysian writer, publisher, and occasional movie-maker. Since 2011, he has run Buku Fixi, a pulp-fiction publishing company which has produced over 170 books to date.

FILM FORUM

PANEL DISCUSSION

What is the Role of the State in Supporting Film?

How do state authorities perceive film - as an industry, as artistic and social expression, national culture needing to be protected? A Thai archivist, Korean film commissioner and FINAS official share their thoughts. Panel members | Choi Yoon, Ahmad Syazli Muhd. Khair and Sanchai Chotirosseranee

talk

Introduction to SEAFIC and Script Labs

Speaker

Raymond Phathananavirangoon Raymond is Executive Director of SEAFIC and film producer for films like Boo Junfeng’s Apprentice (2016) and Pen-ek Ratanaruang’s Samui Song (2017). He previously served as programmer/delegate for the Toronto, Hong Kong and Cannes Critics’ Week.

GTF talk

Moderator

Competitions for international film funds are fierce with hundreds of submissions from around the world. In Southeast Asia, we don’t have many chances to receive feedback on our screenplay before submission. SEAFIC aims to change that by establishing the first script and development lab in East Asia.

Tanjung Talks: What Happened to Malay Films *This programme is encouraged to be conducted in Bahasa Malaysia

Malay films used to be good. Audiences used to throng cinemas to catch the latest productions from the Shaw Brothers or P. Ramlee. Even works by Malaysian directors such as Phani Majundar and L. Krishnan made their way to international film events. Then, we went quiet. What happened? Panel members | Kamil Othman, Shanjhey Kumar Perumal and Dain Said

Moderator

Daniyal Kadir Daniyal is a writer who has written film reviews and articles involving Malaysian cinema. He is also active in programmes that develop an appreciation for Malaysian films.

masterclass

FILM FORUM

Walking Through The Jungle: Programming as hunting/gathering.

Do not underestimate the role of programmers in your cinema life. But they are not ‘MasterChef’s, they stir soups under blindfolds. To demonstrate this ‘blind cooking’ (or jungle gathering), you are invited to bring your (student) short film. It will be filleted on the spot.

masterclass

Gertjan Zuilhof Gertjan, (born 1955, Netherlands) has been an art-house programmer based in Leiden, since 1974. He was formerly the programmer of International Film Festival Rotterdam. Currently, he is an independent programmer and exhibition curator.

Ideal Pathway for Short Filmmakers

Speaker

DISCOURSE

Speaker

So you are a shorts filmmaker with aspirations to make a feature film that travels around the globe. But local financing is becoming rarer and rarer, and international funds are seemingly unattainable. How can one make this tricky transition? This talk explains an ideal pathway to achieve this goal.

Evening with Young Filmmakers

With the exciting diverse selection of Southeast Asian films in SeaShorts film festival this year, one begins to wonder about the younger, newer filmmakers who are just beginning to feel their way in this intimidating landscape. What is the thought process of the next generation of filmmakers in the region? In this special event, we’d like to focus on discussing the emotion of ‘fear’.

Moderator

Chloe Yap and Jacky Yeap Chloe and Jacky once spent a lot of time together making amateur films, watching films with each other, pondering about the world and their position in it; sometimes even questioning their friendship.

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Bowl of milk. Photo courtesy of Chloe Yap.

PLAY ALONG

WORKSHOP

Moderator |

Very Bad Film School Challenge

Tan Chui Mui

In the tradition of Very Bad Film School, We invite people from the industry to challenge anyone to make a film with limitation set by the challenger. This is the 3rd Koyo Yamashita’s challenge. He will also show short films made in a challenge by Tan Chui Mui in Tokyo Image Forum.

DRAWING

The Dead SEAScroll

Challenger

Koyo Yamashita Koyo Yamashita is the artistic director of Image Forum, initially established in 1971 as “Underground Film Centre”. Image Forum is Japan’s largest art film festival and the largest one dedicated to the screenings of new experimental films.

Target participants | 4 years old and below

The Dead SEAScroll is a never-ending live drawing event. It is a collective process between artists and curators that have stayed as children, and children that have grown too fast. It is a crowd-funding event though not initially... Led by |

Gertjan Zuilhof

“I consider myself a very serious programmer and curator, but I also make silly drawings ‘as a sort of gentlemanly hobby’ (Burgess).”

CHALLENGE

“What is Short Film to You?” Challenge

Anyone on Ayuh BerSeaShorts can join the challenge (individual or group) to make a short film with a time limit of one minute. During the closing ceremony, 15 of these oneminute short films will be screened. Some ideas for the short film: talk about the short film, the film festival went, or a personal dark secret or anything that you think will surprise us!

FESTIVAL INFO

Festival Screening Venues Khazanah Nasional Bhd

Komtar

Jetty P. Weld

Hin Bus Depot

A A Hin Bus Depot Jalan Gurdwara, George Town The Deck

B B

Khazanah Nasional Bhd

Pass collection hours

Bangunan U.A.B., Gat Lebuh China, George Town Info hall | Ground Floor Event hall | Ground Floor Multipurpose hall | 1st Floor

31 Jul - 1 Aug 2018 17:00 - 19:00

Pass collection hours 2 Aug - 4 Aug 2018 09:00 - 12:00 | 15:00 - 16:00 | 18:00 -19:00

Gentle reminder: Our screenings start on time, so do spare yourself sufficient time to collect the pass.

Getting AROUND Hin Bus Depot (HBD) ↔ Khazanah Nasional Bhd (KNB) | 1.9km | 25-30min walking a

| RM6+ | 7-14min | GrabCar App promo code: GRABGTF18 (RM5 off 2 rides)*

Bus | 15-30min | frequency: 20-30min | RM0-RM2 | operation hrs: 06:00 - 23:30

www.grab.com/my *t&c applies

www.rapidpg.com.my

LinkBike App

CAT George Town free shuttle bus

| 5-10min| 1-day pass: RM2

Ride and return at any 25 LinkBike stations www.linkbike.my

Gama Supermarket ↔ Pengkalan Weld (200m walk to HBD)

Alternative RM20/day

(200m walk to Khazanah)

| Rent bicycle from local store |

1 Komtar Bus Terminal ↔ 3 Jetty P. Weld (580m walk to HBD)

(200m walk to KNB)

RapidPenang Bus | No: 302 303 307 401 2 Jalan Gurdwara

(60m walk to HBD)

↔ 3 Jetty P. Weld

(200m walk to KNB)

SeaShorts 2018 would like to acknowledge the following organization and individuals for their generous contributions: Indiegogo Contributors

Dora Deng Wen Loong Loh

Official Website

www.nextnewwave.com.my/ seashorts2018 Facebook / Instagram

@seashortsmy

NNW Films Sdn Bhd (1152400-V)

33-3, Plaza Danau 2, Jalan 109 F, off Jalan Klang Lama, 58100 Kuala Lumpur.

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